Hazardous Road Motorcycle Accidents
When we hear the term “hazardous roads,” we usually think of roads slickened by rain, snow, ice or a spill of some kind from an accident. These dangerous conditions are contributing factors in most motorcycle accidents in northern states, but here in Florida, hazardous road accidents are often caused by human error and negligence. When riders and passengers are injured in these kinds of accidents, they have a right to seek damages against the parties responsible for creating the hazardous conditions. They seek the counsel of Daytona Beach hazardous road accident attorneys who have a proven record of success helping clients in these cases, such as James O. Cunningham.
Causes of Hazardous Road Motorcycle Accidents
It goes without saying that motorcycle riders are more vulnerable to serious injury when hazardous road conditions are present. Since they only have two wheels, minor flaws in road maintenance, design or construction can cause them to lose control, resulting in a potentially deadly situation. There are many different kinds of hazardous road conditions that are especially dangerous for riders, including these:
- Construction zones
Construction zones are some of the most dangerous places for a motorcyclist for a variety of reasons such as poor signage, uneven surfaces, large and small tools left in roadways, inattentive workers and sign holders and other reasons. - Improper signage
In many cases, there is inadequate signage in place warnings drivers of steep drops, dips, sharp turns, lane merges and closures, reduced speed zones and other hazardous conditions. This can also include worn striping on the roadway that no longer reflects enough light for anyone to see where the edges of the road begin and end. - Wheel ruts
In Florida and other warm states, heat and heavy traffic, especially truck traffic, can create wheel ruts in the roadway that can throw the front wheel of a motorcycle and cause rainwater to collect. Together, these conditions are deadly, as motorcycles are especially prone and vulnerable to hydroplaning. - Substandard road materials
Cash-strapped state, county and local agencies sometimes use substandard road materials containing oil products to save money. On hot days, the heat and friction from heavy traffic can cause oil to collect on the surface, creating very slick and hazardous conditions. - Potholes
When you’re driving a car, hitting a pothole can flatten a tire and rattle the driver’s nerves. For motorcyclists, potholes are potentially deadly, as they can cause a rider to lose control of the bike in an instant. - Poor road and intersection design
Sometimes, a road or intersection is hazardous because it was poorly designed from the very beginning. There are many design flaws that can create hazardous conditions, such as faulty road or intersection placement, poor visibility, intersections that are too small or too large, reverse-angle curves, roads with turns that are too tight and many others.
Daytona Beach Hazardous Roads Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Since 1977
Building an effective hazardous road accident case for a client requires a great deal of skill, experience and resources to hire safety experts to explain to a jury how and why the road was hazardous. For more than three decades, James O. Cunningham has been helping injured riders in Volusia County and the surrounding area seek damages against those responsible for creating the hazardous conditions. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident caused by road conditions and you want to learn more about your rights and legal options, call 386-243-4994 today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.